Lawyer Siti Kasim expected that she would be charged on June 23 under Section 186 of the Penal Code, for voluntarily obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Lawyer and social activist Siti Kasim is expected to be charged with obstruction of duty during a transgender “beauty pageant” raid conducted by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) last year.

Siti, who was a guest at the event but was arrested by authorities, said in a Facebook posting that she will be charged on June 23 under Section 186 of the Penal Code, for voluntarily obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties.

If found guilty, Siti could face two years in prison, a RM 10,000 fine, or both.

Siti Kasim said that she knew about the charge after receiving a phone call from a police officer earlier today, just hours after the High Court here, in a hearing related to Siti Kasim’s planned civil suit against Jawi regarding her arrest that night, ordered Jawi to release the details of officers involved during the raid.

“Hmmm... very interesting indeed..... coincidence?” she wrote on her Facebook account on the information regarding her charge being relayed right after the court ruling.

Siti Kasim claimed that she was arrested during the April 3 raid by the officers despite identifying herself as a lawyer and as a guest during the dinner.

She was later kept waiting for several hours at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters before being told that she was not under arrest.

Siti Kasim had sought a court order compelling Jawi to name the officers who conducted the raid, for the purposes of her civil suit against the department.